A computer network includes a plurality of interconnected devices that can exchange data over various communication paths or routes. In packet-based networks (e.g., the Internet, local area networks (LANs), wireless LANs (WLANs), and Ethernet networks), network devices may exchange data by dividing the data into smaller units called packets, which are then individually routed across the network by a number of network routers, forwarding devices, and/or switching devices. For example, when a data file (e.g., an email, video, document, and so on) is sent from a source device to a destination device on a network, the file is divided into smaller data packets for more efficient transmission. The individual packets for a given data file may travel different routes across one or more networks, with each packet containing both data and routing information. As such, a packet can be described as having a payload that contains the data, and a header that contains the routing information.
A wireless distribution system (WDS) may include a root access point (AP) and a number of repeater devices that may be used to extend the wireless range of the root AP. The root AP typically includes a transceiver (e.g., Ethernet PHY) to couple the root AP to a wired network such as a wide area network (WAN), a WLAN port to wirelessly connect the root AP to the repeater devices (and/or to one or more local stations), and one or more Ethernet ports to connect the root AP to one or more corresponding local Ethernet devices (e.g., local PCs) via local Ethernet cables. The Ethernet ports are typically controlled by an Ethernet controller, and the WLAN port is typically controlled by a WLAN controller. Each repeater device typically includes a WLAN port to wirelessly connect with the root AP and to wirelessly connect to one or more associated stations (STA), and may also include an Ethernet port to connect with a local Ethernet device (e.g., a PC) via an Ethernet cable.
More specifically, the root AP typically includes a bridging engine that facilitates the exchange of data packets between its WAN transceiver, its Ethernet port(s), and its WLAN port. The bridging engine is typically associated with a bridging table that stores routing information corresponding to the Ethernet and WLAN ports, and the WLAN controller is typically associated with its own forwarding table that stores routing information corresponding to the repeater devices and/or STAs connected to the repeater devices.
Thus, when forwarding a packet from the root AP to a selected STA that is connected to a particular repeater device, two look-up table operations are typically performed: first, the bridging table associated with the bridging engine is searched to determine which port of the root AP to forward the packet to (e.g., either its Ethernet port or its WLAN port), and then the forwarding table associated with the WLAN controller is searched to determine which repeater device the packet is to be forwarded to. In addition to the processing time associated with performing two look-up table operations, maintaining duplicative forwarding information in both the bridging table and in the WLAN controller's forwarding table results in an inefficient use of available memory space in the root AP. As the number of repeater devices coupled to the root AP increases, memory space constraints and processing delays are exacerbated.
Thus, there is a need to simplify forwarding operations in the root AP to increase throughput of the WDS and/or to reduce the storage area consumed by routing information.